Name
by ec-writes
Summary: Alphonse tells Edward the meaning of his daughter's name. Elric Family Fluffiness. Quick little oneshot. Written for AnEquivalentExchange.


Name

:

:

:

"Isn't she a looker?" Edward beamed, as he gazed at his infant niece. Alphonse watched his brother coo incessantly at his daughter, and pride swelled within his chest.

"I know," he gushed, and smiled down at the toothless babe. "She's gorgeous."

"Like any kid an Elric made could be ugly," Edward chuckled, and leaned towards his brother conspicuously. "It's a good thing they all take after our side of the family."

Mei's cheeks began to bubble in frustration, but before she could react, Winry slapped her husband lightly on the shoulder, and snaked her hands carefully around the baby with a grace that only a mother would bear.

"Give her to me," she sighed, as though she had heard him say such things a thousand times before, "before you ruin another Elric with that ego."

Alphonse laughed as the two began to playfully bicker. As much as he loved living in Xing, he missed being with his brother and best friend. Edward reluctantly allowed his wife to take the baby, but smirked as she glided towards the old couch of their living room. Mei followed close behind, and they began speaking to each other, and the baby, in hushed tones.

"So," Ed said. "How do you say her name again?"

"Linzu,"Al replied, and Ed nodded in response. "It's the name of a goddess in Xingese mythology."

"Ah," Ed stated, his eyebrows raised. "So, is it another Icarus type of tale?"

Alphonse chuckled loudly. "No, brother. Far from it."

Edward shot him a dirty look. "Tch! I'm not familiar with Xingese myths, Al. _Someone_ never bothered to send me any books on the subject, you know, while they've been in Xing."

"Relax, Ed," Al sighed, rolling his eyes, albeit with a smile. "I'll tell you about it."

Edward crossed his arms and stared at his brother in wait, while Alphonse kept his attention on his wife and sister in law.

"Linzu originated as a woman from a small isle off the shore of Xing," he began. "She was wise, compassionate, and very beautiful."

The women were laughing quietly together, right as Ed and Winry's youngest child crawled into her lap. "Fishing was that island's main source of income, so many of the men often sailed out to sea in hopes of catching enough to bring their family wealth."

Alphonse watched as his niece leaned towards Linzu, her cerulean eyes wide in amazement over the tiny human. "Her brother and betrothed worked on the same fishing boat, and every time they left home, she would stand by the shore every night, waiting for them to come home."

Edward leaned against the nearby wall, taking in the same scene as Al. The golden haired toddler beamed at the baby, and a happy squeal escaped her tiny body. "During one of their journey's, a typhoon hit the island. It came from the direction that Linzu's brother and betrothed had sailed, and she feared the worst. So, she ran towards the sea, and the moment her feet touched the water, her very being was projected to their sinking ship. Some legends say she carried their beaten bodies home, others say she acted as a light to guide them. They all claim, however, that only when the men reached the shore, did she move from her place by the sea."

Alphonse noticed his brother's face had turned flat from thought, as it had so many times when they were young. "Linzu became a beacon of hope. Her story spread across the entirety of Xing. Eventually, others began to claim her being saved them from the rage of the sea, guiding them back home when they were broken and lost. When she died, she was reborn as a goddess, so that she could forever help others as they made their way across troubled waters."

A comfortable silence set in between them, as Edward gave him a look of understanding, and grinned.

"That reminds me of another story we know well," Ed commented. "About two boys that traveled the country, and a girl who waited for them."

The sound of Winry's laughter caused them to turn right as Linzu began to stick out her tongue, mimicking the silly face her cousin was making. He watched as his wife and his best friend- no, his sister, played with their children, and nodded his head. "They're one and the same to me."

:

:

:

* * *

I'm not completely familiar with FMA geography, so if Xing isn't by an ocean, just pretend it is for this. :)

Thank you for reading. Please review!


End file.
